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Animated PAL-format VHS video. A discovery video guide to the North York Moors and Coast.
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00:20Of all of England's priceless treasures, the magnificent region of the North Yorkshire
00:26moors and coast cannot be surpassed for its natural beauty and breathtaking splendor.
00:31Essentially, there are two facets to this rich jewel.
00:35It is a region of both coast and countryside.
00:38From sandy bays with romantic fishing villages nestling precariously below towering cliffs,
00:44the whites and blues, fringed with gold, are never far from the rich purples of the moors.
00:49These magnificent moorland expanses with their beautiful greendales possess a wonderfully timeless quality and magical appeal.
00:59Above all, it is a region of tremendous variety and contrast.
01:04Contrasts which are transcended by one remarkable man, Captain James Cook,
01:10whose distant monument stands as a testimony to his life,
01:14which forges land and sea and brings past and present together in this remarkable region.
01:21This greatest seafarer and navigator of all time was born in 1728 in the little rural village of Martin,
01:29where the parish church register still contains the record of his birth.
01:34The charming, peaceful village of Great Aiton was home to the young James Cook,
01:39as his father was employed at the nearby Airy Home Farm.
01:44Little can anyone have realised then how famous this farm labourer's son would become,
01:50even though his father's employer appreciated the boy's exceptional qualities
01:54and chose to pay for young James to attend the school here.
02:00Seldom can so small and unpretentious an establishment have been more proud to produce such a pupil.
02:07This, after all, was the boy who would conceive the ambition, in his own words,
02:12not only to go further than any man had ever been before,
02:16but as far as it was possible for man to go.
02:20In pursuit of that ambition, he eventually made three incredible voyages.
02:26Today, in recognition of that man, a new museum stands in the beautiful surroundings of Stewart Park.
02:35For us, however, it is the perfect introduction to a man who still means something to every school child in
02:41the land.
02:42The country boy who went to work in a grocer's shop in Staves,
02:46and who began there a love affair with the sea,
02:49that would govern the whole of his future life and take him literally to the ends of the earth.
02:56A boy who would one day sail great ships, whose names are world famous to this day.
03:04Endeavour, resolution, discovery.
03:08To today's visitor, it seems entirely appropriate that the town of Middlesbrough
03:13has seen fit to build this beautiful museum in order to honour Cleveland's most famous son.
03:20Middlesbrough itself, of course, did not even exist in Cook's own day.
03:24A fine Victorian town built in a spirit of enterprise and energy which typified the age and persists to this
03:32day.
03:33It is situated just on the edge of the North York Moors National Park
03:37and well-equipped to welcome visitors to Cleveland's coast and countryside.
03:42Offering good shopping facilities and fine well-established hotels, visitors can be assured of every comfort.
03:53This beautiful and serene house, however, does belong to the days of Captain Cook,
03:59for it was built during his lifetime in 1750.
04:03Ormsby Hall was certainly the epitome of 18th century elegance and comfort.
04:09No expense was spared, so that it stands today as testimony to the standards of craftsmanship
04:14and the taste and decoration of the period.
04:33One of the most famous features of the region is the craggy summit of roseberry topping,
04:38partly created by centuries of ironstone mining, and partly by the effects of wind and weather.
04:45It is a landmark from miles around and can be seen from many places in the region.
04:51And appropriately, since he was brought up in a shadow, a nearby monument to Captain James Cook
04:57tells us that though the sea may have become his life, this magnificent purple moorland landscape
05:03was the home of the world's greatest navigator.
05:11Descending from the moors, we're back in pretty farming country,
05:15where the nearby historic settlement of Gisborough remains a busy and bustling market town.
05:28And yet, as so often in this region of contrasts, there is peace and tranquillity not far away.
05:37These graceful ruins, now in need of some restoration, are those of the 12th century Augustinian Gisborough Priory.
05:46They chose a site of great beauty on the very fringes of the moors.
05:51And here, as elsewhere, the moors are never very far from the sea.
06:01But inland too, there are excellent facilities for water sports.
06:05Here, the huge water playground of Scaling Dam hosts sports both new and traditional.
06:12It is a place where just messing about in boats takes on a whole new dimension,
06:17and enjoyment can be had both on and off the water.
06:24Water serves a different function here, powering the last working mill in the Cleveland area.
06:31Beautifully renovated, it transports us back in time to when the harvest was ground to flower,
06:37and the pace of life dictated by the seasons of the farming year.
06:41So much of Cleveland's rural heritage survives to delight us,
06:46from grand historic houses to the modest country churches,
06:50such as this one in the village of Upletham,
06:53possibly the tiniest church in England.
06:56And if Upletham is England's smallest church,
06:59here in the nearby village of Kirkletham are certainly her finest almshouses,
07:04built in 1662 by wealthy local philanthropist Sir William Turner.
07:15Vying for attention is the grand Kirkletham Old Hall,
07:19with its fine museum displaying old vehicles and machines,
07:23which once more conjure up our past,
07:25and remind us of a way of life only recently left behind.
07:32But while some of these machines belong to the world of towns and factories,
07:36others were for use on the land.
07:41And once again, Captain Cook cannot fail to come to mind,
07:45as we note another contrast,
07:47in the nearness of the farmland to the sea.
07:50For generations, people have won their living here too,
07:54depending on the riches of the ocean,
07:56and living a life just as hard as that of the farmers inland,
08:00and a good deal more dangerous.
08:02Today, in Redcar, fishing is still a part of life,
08:06and remains one of the attractions of this fun-packed holiday resort.
08:10But Redcar has had its sombre moments too.
08:13The North Sea can be treacherous,
08:15and that is why this is the home of the Zetland Lifeboat Museum,
08:19containing the world's oldest lifeboat.
08:22Many are the tales of tragedy and heroism
08:24that this old craft could tell to its modern replacement.
08:27From the holiday atmosphere of Redcar,
08:31we continue down the coast,
08:32to small and peaceful mass,
08:35where in the graveyard of St. Germain's Church
08:37is the burial place of Captain Cook's father,
08:40the humble farm labourer
08:42whose sons would make his name at sea.
08:47And that selfsame sea,
08:49which attracted Cook for its promise of adventure,
08:51is no less enticing today.
08:54We may no longer embark into the unknown
08:57on great voyages of discovery,
08:59but the sea still offers us a challenge,
09:01with the newer sports of windsurfing,
09:05and sailboarding.
09:16But here stands one clear piece of evidence
09:19that the sea has long been a source of pleasure and entertainment,
09:23the survival of the finest,
09:25and the only remaining Victorian pier
09:28on the north-east coast of England.
09:34On this beautiful stretch of coastline,
09:36the farmland, time and again,
09:38reaches all the way to the sea,
09:40only to be cut off suddenly by the abruptness of the cliffs.
09:45Huddled below, sheltered from the worst of the storms,
09:48are some of the most delightful fishing villages
09:50you could ever wish to discover,
09:53such as cow bar and staves,
09:57where we find a close-knit community
10:00forced into self-sufficiency by its own isolation.
10:05Small wonder that traditional skills persist here,
10:09like the hand-knitting of fishermen's Ganzies in local patterns.
10:19This is a traditional fishing way of life,
10:22still carried on as for generations past,
10:24with skills handed down from father to son.
10:28The boats these fishermen use, locally called cobbles,
10:32still betray in their styling
10:34a link with the ancient boats of the Norse invaders.
10:39But while some people look to the sea for a livelihood,
10:42others simply come here for pleasure.
10:50There are no pressures, no demands.
10:53Time stands still,
10:54and nothing is asked of you,
10:56but that you should relax and enjoy the many pleasures
10:59this charming village has to offer.
11:01Now you will understand why it was that,
11:04as an apprentice boy here,
11:05James Cook determined never to live life
11:08out of touch with the sea.
11:11Staves remains to this day a romantic little place,
11:15pursuing its traditional way of life quite naturally.
11:23A similar piece can be enjoyed at Sand's End.
11:32There is a beautiful stretch of beach,
11:35where both young and old can enjoy the simple things,
11:38whiling away long lazy days together.
11:41There are no frills, no extras,
11:44and none are needed, just sand and sea.
11:47Here we also resume the link with Captain Cook,
11:51for he too travelled along the coast of Whitby.
11:54For a young man determined to go to sea,
11:57Whitby was the obvious centre,
11:58an established port used not only by ordinary fishermen,
12:02but also by whaling boats and cargo ships.
12:09Here, Cook became an apprentice on a collier vessel,
12:12learnt the art of navigation and the skills of seamanship,
12:15and set sail to adventure and everlasting fame.
12:23And Whitby's new Captain Cook Museum
12:26encaptures life in his day,
12:28and is another tribute to this great seaman,
12:30who struck out for new worlds across the ocean.
12:34But for our journey,
12:36we must turn the other way,
12:37to follow another route to Whitby,
12:39via the river Esk from the distant woods.
12:42The rural beauties of Eskdale have many faces.
12:46Passing first through lush farmland,
12:48we head into the upper reaches of the valley,
12:51and regain at last the loneliness of the Moors.
12:54Here, peace and solitude are the visitors' companions.
12:58The Moors unfolding their splendours
13:01to create a sea of purple heather.
13:03And these unspoiled hills and beautiful dales
13:06are excellent walking country.
13:09But a good resting place is the Moors Centre at Danby,
13:13and this it would indeed be sad to miss,
13:16for the North York Moors National Park Centre
13:18does the area proud.
13:22Outside, there is space in which to walk,
13:25to picnic and to play.
13:27And yet, these beautiful grounds
13:29are only part of what the Moors Centre has to offer.
13:35Inside is a veritable wonderland
13:37of displays on the wildlife of the area,
13:40which are both informative
13:41and almost unbelievably realistic.
13:45The history, geology and farming traditions
13:48are clearly explained,
13:49giving the visitor a better understanding
13:52of the character of this now protected part
13:54of the region's heritage.
13:58And with its popular stepping stones,
14:01nearby Lillehelm is one of the golden stone villages
14:04that are among the most treasured possessions
14:06of this rich heritage.
14:12But just occasionally,
14:14the creations of man,
14:15either in his buildings and his gardens,
14:17come together in a happy combination
14:19just as attractive as anything in nature.
14:25And here, at the Potts Cottage Shrub Nursery
14:28in the village of Lillehelm,
14:30the splendour resulting from his care and skills
14:32could not be better displayed,
14:34and offers a most peaceful, beautiful,
14:36and colourful alternative for the visitor.
14:50One of the most celebrated of villages
14:52is Goatland.
14:53Set around generous greens,
14:55it has a spaciousness and calm
14:57that cannot fail to impress.
15:03And yet, in contrast to the openness
15:06of the village greens,
15:07so popular with children,
15:09less than a mile away,
15:10a moorland stream plunges into a wooded glen,
15:13and the overhanging trees
15:14and the interplay of shadows
15:16create a new world of mystery
15:18and breathtaking beauty.
15:23Malian Spout, seen here,
15:25is only one of several waterfalls in this area.
15:27All different, all beautiful,
15:30and all exerting the special magic
15:33that only cascading water knows.
15:36And the very waters of these falls
15:38lead us back to the river Esk,
15:40swelling all the time on its journey
15:42to Whitby and the sea.
15:45These ancient and majestic ruins
15:47exert a magic too,
15:49taking us back to a time
15:50almost beyond our imaginings.
15:53Here we are standing on the very threshold
15:56of Christianity in England.
15:58For this abbey was founded in the 7th century,
16:01and it is said that the ghost
16:03of the first abbess, Hilda,
16:05inhabits these ruins,
16:06and can still be seen gazing
16:08from an upper window over the sea.
16:17For all of Whitby looks to the sea,
16:20both the abbey above
16:21and the more modest buildings
16:22of the town below.
16:33For generations, the people of Whitby
16:36scanned the horizon for invaders,
16:38but for even longer,
16:39they've looked anxiously
16:41for the return of the fishermen.
16:50Meanwhile, those on dry land found other occupations,
16:55such as the glassblowers,
16:56making an endless supply of glass globes
16:59used to buoy the fishing nets.
17:03Today, utilizing immense traditional skills,
17:07Whitby glass produce handcrafted items
17:09for both interest and exquisite decoration.
17:26But the strong association with the sea
17:29is never forgotten.
17:31Another skilful local craft
17:33is that of the jeweller,
17:35seen here at A & K Young in Whitby.
17:38And although a range of materials
17:41is handcrafted today,
17:42we must not forget
17:44that the famous Whitby jewellery industry
17:46developed upon jet,
17:47which soared in popularity
17:49when Queen Victoria chose it
17:51as mourning jewellery.
18:01And today, jewellery remains as popular as ever.
18:11Moving on down the coast,
18:13the next fishing village
18:14is Robin Hood's Bay,
18:16clinging to the cliffs
18:17and overlooking a beautiful natural harbour
18:19backed by a rocky little beach.
18:23Here there are rock pools and boulders,
18:26pebbles and shells.
18:34But many of the pleasures of being beside the sea
18:37are those we have enjoyed elsewhere,
18:39the peaceful pleasures of a day spent in relaxation,
18:42where the only sounds are the laughter of children,
18:45the cries of seabirds
18:47and the regular splashing of the waves.
18:58This tight-knit community is hardy and self-sufficient,
19:02happy to have been tucked away for centuries,
19:05barely known to outsiders.
19:10The large and elegant resort of Scarborough,
19:13a one-time Victorian spa town,
19:16retains much of the original character
19:17that made it such a fashionable venue
19:19in the 19th century.
19:27This is a town of much beauty and character,
19:30where a long maritime tradition
19:31is combined with a forward-looking energy and enthusiasm
19:34which keeps Scarborough at the forefront
19:37of 20th century resorts.
19:44We can't come to the sea without the beach,
19:46and Scarborough is fortunate
19:48to overlook two glorious bays
19:50where there is room for everyone
19:52and no limit on things to do
19:54or friends to make.
19:57As well as the beach and promenade,
19:59there are also beautiful gardens,
20:01such as those at Peetham Park.
20:12Alongside pursuits enjoyed by the young
20:14and young at heart since time began,
20:17are some very modern entertainments.
20:19One of the most recent is Kinderland,
20:22a wonderful play cast
20:23specially designed for younger children
20:25who, coming here for the first time,
20:28will feel that they have miraculously stepped
20:30into the world of their dreams.
20:39For those who can't resist a challenge,
20:41here is the opportunity to master a new skill,
20:45to try something you may never have done before,
20:47and to go home at the end of the day
20:49with the satisfaction of being able to say,
20:52I did that.
20:56The simpler pleasures of traditional playgrounds
20:59are here too,
21:01safely and kindly supervised by trained staff
21:03who will do all they can to ensure
21:06that you enjoy hour upon hour of adventure
21:08and entertainment.
21:19Small wonder that the happy atmosphere
21:21is infectious,
21:23and in the end,
21:24everyone is joining in the fun,
21:26just as the creators of this children's paradise hoped.
21:38And in a town so closely linked with the sea,
21:41what more appropriate and thrilling grand finale
21:43could there be than this?
21:45A nerve-tingling plunge to the water below.
21:57But Scarborough's attractions stretch far back in time too.
22:05Here on the tiring headland that separates the two bays
22:09stands Scarborough Castle,
22:11a great Norman fortress built on the spot
22:13where the Romans once had a signal station,
22:15scanning the sea for a tank.
22:18Here is recreated the age of chivalry,
22:21where tournaments and pageantry
22:22were the order of the day.
22:42And overlooking all this are the massive stone walls,
22:46witnesses to centuries of real bloodshed and turmoil.
22:52Not much further down the coast,
22:54we come to Firely,
22:55also once the site of a Roman signal station.
23:01Here there's no great Norman bastion,
23:04only castles of a more modest kind.
23:09Firely is an unpretentious, sedate resort
23:12which favours more restrained pleasures.
23:20It combines the charm of an old-fashioned fishing village
23:23with the attractions of a modern holiday centre,
23:26enjoying a massive sandy beach,
23:29a promenade and gardens.
23:30But its special appeal
23:32is that it still retains its fishing tradition.
23:38Here you can watch the fishing vessels
23:40come and go to your heart's content.
23:43And as usual, people who live close to the sea
23:45accept as everyday food what the rest of us may consider
23:48to be expensive delicacies.
24:02But that, after all,
24:03is what makes Yorkshire's Gold Coast
24:05such an appealing place for a holiday.
24:11What would count as special pleasures anywhere else
24:14are here a way of life.
24:19No one thinks twice about the fact
24:21that there are so many things to enjoy here.
24:34The characteristic they all share is space.
24:38Space to relax, get away from the crowds
24:40and enjoy sport and exercise,
24:43both on water and on land.
24:47And that is the essence of a holiday
24:49in this uncluttered and unspoilt northern corner of England.
24:58Turning away from the untamed waters of the sea,
25:01we now head inland to more peaceful streams,
25:04such as this one running through the lovely village
25:06of Thorntonley Dale.
25:08A little further inland,
25:10and we come to Pickering.
25:11And here, we're back in the land of castles.
25:14This one an almost perfect and compact demonstration
25:17of the way castles developed over the centuries.
25:28Helmsley has its castle too,
25:30and we'll come to that in a moment.
25:32But this very attractive market town
25:33has much to offer besides.
25:41Nestling below the Hambleton Hills,
25:43and serving as the southern gateway to the Moors,
25:46Helmsley is recorded in the Doomsday Book.
25:50Traditional local crafts are still being produced here,
25:53at Archway Crafts.
25:55Here, the visitor will find many a temptation.
25:58For who can resist the opportunity to own a beautiful article,
26:02seen at the first moment of its creation?
26:06There is a fascination in the age-old art of the potter,
26:09the ability to turn a lump of unpromising clay
26:12into an object of style and usefulness.
26:15And as so often was the case,
26:17the humble dwelling of the craftsmen
26:19stood in the shadow of a great fortress,
26:21a place of refuge for the populace in time of danger,
26:25but also the centre from which a feudal overlord
26:28ruled with ruthless authority.
26:34Nearby Duncan Park,
26:36whose beautiful landscape terraces
26:38and classical temples these are,
26:40was built to overlook the exquisitely situated
26:43and now famous ruins of Rebo Abbey
26:45and the valley below.
26:54And the abbeys of North Yorkshire
26:56were many and powerful indeed.
26:58The 14th century Mount Grace Priory
27:01was the only Carthusian house in the area.
27:18Nearby Byland Abbey,
27:20founded by Cistercians in the 12th century,
27:23also stands in ruins,
27:24another victim of the dissolution of the monasteries
27:27in 1538.
27:37And who would guess that this lovely building
27:39also began life in the 12th century
27:41as a religious foundation?
27:44Witness its name, Newburgh Priory.
27:49Here there's much to be enjoyed,
27:51both indoors and out of doors,
27:53and once again the picture is made more appealing
27:55by the presence of water.
28:06It's fine rural setting is most appropriate,
28:08for it was the monks of the great Norman abbeys
28:11who introduced cheap farming to North Yorkshire,
28:14thereby laying the foundations of a way of life
28:16that would bring prosperity to this once wild and sparsely populated region.
28:30And history flourishes in the market towns like Thirsk,
28:34where the vet surgery reminds us that this was the home of the famous James Herriot.
28:39Only a little distance from Thirsk at Thirlby works a craftsman in wood,
28:45representative of many in the area.
28:47Each man has his own trademark, and Bob Hunter's is the Wren.
28:52Utilising traditional skills that have been passed down over centuries
28:56with his very special talents,
28:58Bob creates beautiful furniture and ornaments.
29:01Some for churches and large buildings,
29:04others for the private home.
29:07Meanwhile, one of Bob Hunter's near neighbours
29:09offers a most enjoyable way of exploring the beautiful landscapes.
29:15This is Hesketh Grange,
29:17one of the better known riding stables in the area,
29:19offering facilities for all ages and abilities.
29:24And whether you go out for an hour or two,
29:27or for an all-day trek through the woodlands and over the moors,
29:29what could be better?
29:31For riding offers a much closer experience of the riches of nature.
29:38Horses have been an important part of life here since Viking times,
29:42which is probably why in 1857,
29:44a local schoolmaster called John Hodgson from this hillside
29:48cut the now famous landmark of the White Horse of Kilper.
29:58And as we raise our eyes to it,
30:01we are reminded that the green dales are never far from the purple splendours of the moors.
30:09This beautiful alternating landscape,
30:12where the lonely uplands are intersected by river valleys and gorges,
30:16makes up the magic of the North York moors.
30:25And if the moors are chiefly home to the hardy upland sheep,
30:29the dales offer pasture to the dairy herds and shelter to man.
30:34One of the loveliest of all the dales is Rosedale,
30:38a narrow wooded valley which was once busy and noisy
30:41as a centre for 19th century ironstone mining,
30:44but has now returned to rural tranquillity.
30:51Nearby lies one of Yorkshire's most beautiful,
30:54most captivating and most popular villages,
30:57Huttonley Hole,
30:58where the now familiar combination of pretty streams
31:01and wide village greens gives a relaxed, timeless charm.
31:13The famous and dramatic Whitestone Cliff and Sutton Bank
31:17mark our reluctant departure from this richly endowed and fascinating region.
31:23This popular location is a glorious place at which to end our journey.
31:31The panoramic views are breathtakingly spectacular
31:35and are enjoyed at leisure, whatever your viewpoint.
31:40But we must not forget that locked within these hills
31:44lies a region which by its very isolation
31:47has preserved a heritage and traditions rich in contrast and variety.
31:54Here, you do not have to take to the skies to experience peace and freedom.
32:01Those qualities are present anyway,
32:03for they sum up the appeal of this magnificent region
32:06of the North Yorkshire moors and coast.
32:09Runds of the North Yorkshire moors and coast Thick
32:10in a region of the South Yorkshire moors.
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